Women and the MBA : Change in management demographics across geographies

Hello readers! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We are back with another series of posts this week and this time we’d be looking at ‘Women and the MBA’. To date we have found that there remain some myths and pre conceived notions attached to the female demographic in the MBA domain and in the mind of the average person, business schools are still associated less with women than men in a lot of South Asian countries, especially places like Thailand, Vietnam and of course, India. However, we are trying to bust some myths in this series and this is the first one of those myths. So, if you are one of the people who think on similar lines, then you might be in for a pleasant surprise. 

Let’s see why! There has been something of a paradigm shift in the global MBA demographic trends from 1980’s and early 90’s. This is substantiated if you look at the statistics; at top international business schools, on average, women now constitute 35% of an MBA class as compared to about 20% in 1989. While 35% is still a minority share, what’s encouraging is that more and more women are preparing for MBA admissions processes than ever before. Also, this is happening in big way in the geographies that one did not earlier associate with such trends. If you were to look at specific business schools here, then the Wharton Business School leads the pack with 40% of its entire MBA population in the class of 2012 being women. What’s more, together, these students represent a total of 68 countries.

When one talks about countries where there are more women who are preparing to take the GMAT than men, the immediate guesses would generally have been countries such as the U.S., Canada or maybe the UK.   Therefore, it should come as quite a revelation that in fact, more women than men are taking the GMAT in China, Russia, Vietnam and Thailand and this embodies a huge wave of change across the world where more and more women are choosing Management as a career option over previously preferred occupations for women in Asian countries like teaching, administrative work or becoming a home maker. Over a quarter of a century ago, most women in these developing countries  who are now looking at entering B-schools were not even born, and their parents perhaps did not foresee that their girl child would be sitting across a computer taking English-language standardized tests, in her endeavour to go overseas for a Management degree and subsequently a management career.

So why is this happening? Of course, the female empowerment movement across the world, the emphasis on equality of sexes, not just in the west, but in the eastern world too is likely a key reason; and increased exposure and opportunities have a lot to do with this change. However, there is another factor  that has contributed to this trend; that top B-schools  & organizations around the world are realizing that there is a set of qualities that women unusually posses which in some cases make for better manager and more efficient leaders. Women are universally known to be more well organized, more patient, with better people skills and more composed at times of taking important decisions- all qualities required for a good management student & professional.

Judy B. Rosener was one of the first people to observe this in her revolutionary & path breaking article titled ‘Way women Lead’ published in the Harvard Business Review in 1990. In the article Judy says, “The women’s success shows that a non–traditional leadership style is well suited to the conditions of some work environments and can increase an organization’s chances of surviving in an uncertain world. It supports the belief that there is strength in a diversity of leadership style.”


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Is it okay to quit my job before I apply to Business School?

A few potential applicants have asked me whether it is okay to quit their job before applying to Business School. And of course the answer is that it ‘depends’ on why you are taking time off and what you plan to do in that time. Before taking time off examine your reasons for doing so, consider what you will do during your time off and think about how an admissions committee may view this break in your career.

In general, most of the reasons I hear are not good ones and may actually raise questions about your abilities. Let’s examine a few reasons and see why they may or may not be a good idea:

1. ‘I need to study for the GMAT’

I would not suggest taking time off to study for the GMAT, even if you have a high pressured job and are having difficulty finding time to study for the GMAT. Most people who are applying to business school are working in demanding jobs. Hence, if you quit your job to study for the GMAT, you may look like you are unable to handle pressure. Admissions committees will then wonder whether you can handle the intense environment that typifies most business schools. It’s much more advisable to give yourself (a) a longer period of time to study (b) try to see if you can take short breaks from work to study. For example take a week of vacation – combined with a weekend at either end it will give you a solid 10 days of focussed study time.

2. ‘I hate my job, and I plan to quit to go to Business School anyway – why not quit now’

In this instance it may seem compelling to quit your job; however it’s important to remember that getting into Business Schools requires you to demonstrate your unique skills and achievements in your application. So if you quit your job and start focusing full-time on your application, you will have fewer instances to showcase your skills and achievements at the workplace – for both your written application and your interview. It will of course raise the same questions as described above with regards to quitting your job to focus on the GMAT.

3. ‘ I want to change jobs, and now seems like a good time to do so’

If you are planning to change jobs then think about what new skills and responsibilities this new job will give you. For example, if your new job provides you with more leadership responsibilities, a greater breadth of experiences or more depth of experience then that in fact could be a very good reason to quit your job. It will be important for you to also assess whether or not this new job change seems logical in light of your goals and reasons for going to business school.

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How to prepare for GRE? – A step-by-step Guide

 
GRE- Graduate Record Examination

Planning to go for your Masters abroad? Most graduate schools require you to take standardized tests, the most common being GRE and GMAT.

All these years, students who are applying to business school or planning on taking up a management program have been taking the GMAT, while most other programs require you to usually take the GRE. Things have changed a bit now and most business schools also accept GRE, giving you the choice of which test to take, making it important for you to choose the right test that plays to your strengths.

GRE                              VS                             GMAT
Accepted in most graduate schools and an increasing number of business schools.	Accepted in most business schools.
Consists of: Analytical section-75 mins (this including two essays) 2 Verbal sections- 30 mins each 2 Quantitative sections- 35 mins each Experimental section- 30 mins (either math or verbal)	Consists of: Analytical section- 30 mins (one essay) Integrated Reasoning section- 30 mins Quantitative section- 75 mins Verbal section- 75 mins
Costs- $195 Computer/paper based	Costs- $250 Computer based
Time allotted to take the test is 3+ hours	Time allotted to take the test is 3.5 hours
Scores are valid for 5 years	Scores are valid for 5 years

Besides these there are also some other differences between the two standardized tests.

The GRE’s verbal section focuses more on vocabulary while the GMAT’s focal point is more towards grammar, logic and reasoning skills, making the GRE favorable towards students with a strong knowledge of English. Your math abilities also play an important factor in deciding which test to take. The GRE emphasizes on quick number sense and number manipulation while GMAT requires you to create a systematic approach in order to answer word problems.

If you are still confused its best to take a practice test for each exam so you know which test is more suited for you. Also do not forget to check the website of your desired universities to make sure you are taking the right test.

Also you can take the GRE test once in twenty-one days, up to a maximum of five times within a year from your first GRE testing date.

GRE Test Dates and Registration

The GRE is administered at prometric test centers, throughout the year, in almost all major cities in India.

To make it in time for your application deadlines, make sure you choose a date well in advance. It usually takes approximately two weeks for your GRE scores to reach your desired universities. You are allowed to choose four institutions to send your GRE scores to as a part of your test fee. These will be chosen on the day of the GRE test.

Also you can take the GRE test once in twenty-one days, up to a maximum of five times within a year from your first GRE testing date.

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Indian employers see overseas graduates as more job-ready

Employers in India believe foreign university graduates have better technical skills for jobs, according to the India Employability report unveiled by The British Council.

The research surveyed 200 foreign and Indian companies on ascertaining the attractiveness of Indian and foreign university graduates for jobs on parameters such as skill-sets, availability and quality of talent pool. It revealed that 39 per cent of the respondents deemed far more graduates from foreign universities as better prepared for the job than those from Indian universities, perceiving them to require lesser extensive training, according to 14 per cent of employers.

Rob Lynes, director of the British Council spoke about the findings.

Please explain the key findings.

This report is looking at employability of Indians in general. It is about what young people need to do to get jobs. The report looked at particularly those who studied in India or overseas and tried to assess whether the latter have an added advantage. With 200 respondents, it's not a huge corpus to look at, but what the report does say is that some employers feel those who have studied overseas are better prepared for the job market. And this could be attributed to exposure, critical thinking abilities and better understanding of business concepts. These were employers who hired students with overseas experience. I guess it doesn't make them better employees but gives them something extra. Even in the UK, we encourage people to get some exposure overseas. This is the first time we have looked at elements like employability in context of the Indian market.

What are the concerns regarding overseas education?

This report is looking at employability of Indians in general. It is about what young people need to do to get jobs. The report looked at particularly those who studied in India or overseas and tried to assess whether the latter have an added advantage. With 200 respondents, it's not a huge corpus to look at, but what the report does say is that some employers feel those who have studied overseas are better prepared for the job market. And this could be attributed to exposure, critical thinking abilities and better understanding of business concepts. These were employers who hired students with overseas experience. I guess it doesn't make them better employees but gives them something extra. Even in the UK, we encourage people to get some exposure overseas. This is the first time we have looked at elements like employability in context of the Indian market.

How are training interventions for institutions and companies panning out in India?

Soft skills are critical communication presentation skills, and these are essential for any job. Students may be academically brilliant but if you cannot communicate and engage you'll find it difficult to survive. The British Council works broadly with 12 states in India. We train the trainers to teach language. We've had tie-ups with companies and higher institutions looking at soft skills training. There is a demand for that in India.

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Source: EconomicTimes